Featured photo: Chef Ernest Palmisano Jr. stands in the lounge of his restaurant in Shreveport on a Tuesday afternoon.
The final one-night-only dinner experience of the inaugural 318 Restaurant Week will be held on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016 at Ernest’s Orleans Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge, and Executive Chef Ernest Palmisano Jr. is in good spirits about it. When I spoke with him on Tuesday afternoon, he’d already booked 75 reservations for the 318 Restaurant Week event, including several couples from the Dallas-Ft. Worth area who’d heard about the promotion.
“We’re gonna take care of these guests when they come in,” Palmisano said. “We’re gonna make ‘em feel good – we’re gonna spoil ‘em. That’s what we’re known for and that’s what we aim to do.”

As I visited with Palmisano, I thought a lot about service. My friend Clint McCommon and I had stopped by the restaurant to shoot a promotional video (which you can see embedded, below) for the dinner. Things kept magically appearing at my elbow as we worked: a glass of soda that kept refilling itself; a plate of warm bread; a bowl of gumbo. I never saw the server, Tommy, who was dropping these items off – the guy was a ninja. You don’t see a lot of that anymore.
At the Ernest’s Club Room Experience, the restaurant will be serving diners a “greatest hits” of sorts: marinated crab claws, a surf n’ turf sampler, Bananas Foster prepared table-side, and more – all for $35 plus tax and tip per person. If you’ve never been to Ernest’s and are looking for a wallet-friendly chance to get an idea of what they do, this is a good one. If you do attend this or any 318 Restaurant Week event, please share your photos on the 318 Restaurant Week Facebook page using the hashtag #Eat318 to be entered to win a two-night stay at Eldorado Resort Casino and $150 in dining at The Vintage Steakhouse.
Check out what Ernest had to say about the night:
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Visit the official 318 Restaurant Week website for more info.
Like 318 Restaurant Week on Facebook.
Like Ernest’s Orleans Restaurant on Facebook.